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Two men play in the surf on Davenport Beach, which is part of the land that The Trust for Public Land is turning over to the state. The land, known as the Coast Dairies Ranch, is a 5-mile stretch of beachfront property along Highway 1 north of Santa Cruz that surrounds the small town of Davenport, CA. Photos taken on Monday, July 24th. Liz Mangelsdorf /The Chronicle MANDATORY CREDIT FOR PHOTOG AND SF CHRONICLE/ -MAGS OUT

Photo: Liz Mangelsdorf

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Two men play in the surf on Davenport...

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Davenport, Santa Cruz County. Chronicle graphic by Todd Trumbull

Davenport, Santa Cruz County. Chronicle graphic by Todd Trumbull

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Reed Holderman, Vice President and Regional Director for The Trust for Public Land, walks over towards some of the tree covered property inland from the beach that the Trust is turning over to the state. The property, known as the Coast Dairies Ranch, is a 5-mile stretch of beachfront property along Highway 1 north of Santa Cruz that surrounds the small town of Davenport, CA. Photos taken on Monday, July 24th. Liz Mangelsdorf /The Chronicle
***Reed Holderman (cq)

Photo: Liz Mangelsdorf

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Reed Holderman, Vice President and Regional...

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Mary Menees, director of Public Affairs, enjoys the stream that runs through the land that The Trust for Public Land is donating to the state. The Trust is turning over to the state a 5-mile stretch of beachfront property, known as the Coast Dairies Ranch, along Highway 1 north of Santa Cruz that surrounds the small town of Davenport, CA. Photos taken on Monday, July 24th. Liz Mangelsdorf /The Chronicle
***Mary Menees(cq)

Photo: Liz Mangelsdorf

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Mary Menees, director of Public Affairs,...

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UC Santa Cruz art students Nahareen Rahim, left, and Katie Martin, right, (who came with their art class) paint the landscape overlooking Davenport Beach on Highway 1. They are on part of the land that the Trust for Public Land is turning over to the state. The land, called the Coast Dairies Ranch, includes a five-mile stretch of beachfront property along Highway 1 north of Santa Cruz that surrounds the small town of Davenport, CA. Photos taken on Monday, July 24th. Liz Mangelsdorf /The Chronicle
***Katie Martin and Nahareen Rahim (CQ)

Photo: Liz Mangelsdorf

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UC Santa Cruz art students Nahareen Rahim,...

Miles of coast given to state for public use / 7 beaches north of Santa Cruz provided by nonprofit trust

2006-07-28 04:00:00 PDT Davenport, Santa Cruz County -- One of Northern California's largest parcels of privately owned coastline -- 5 miles of rocky shoreline north of Santa Cruz -- is being given to the state in what conservationists call the biggest expansion of the region's public beaches in a generation.

Tucked among the rugged outcroppings of Coast Dairies Ranch are seven beaches popular with tourists and surfers who probably never knew they were trespassing. The ranch, about 10 miles north of Santa Cruz, is seven times larger than Golden Gate Park, and its acquisition ensures public access to a nearly uninterrupted 13-mile stretch of coastline.

The gift by the nonprofit Trust for Public Land is the most significant addition to public beaches in the north coast since 1975, when the Parks and Recreation Department acquired 4.8 miles of coastline along the Sinkyone Wilderness in Mendocino County.

"We're thrilled that with this acquisition, the people of California will have public, legal access to the beaches," said Reed Holderman, regional director of the Trust for Public Land. "It's a strategic link in building a state seashore and fulfilling the dream of a coastal trail."

The land looks a lot like it did when the Respini and Moretti families founded Coast Dairies and Land Co. in the 1860s after emigrating from Switzerland.

"It's right out of a Monet painting," said Noah Buchanan, a painter teaching a UC Santa Cruz art class that was visiting the coastline near Davenport this week. "It's so inspirational."

Although the dairies closed long ago, farmers lease the land to grow fava beans, artichokes and strawberries. The Cemex cement factory that opened in 1906 still mines limestone from a quarry just over the ridgeline. Cemex holds a lease for the mine until 2067 and will remain on the land, as will farmers.

The entire parcel will be permanently protected open space managed by three agencies. The seven beaches along Coast Dairies Ranch bring to 12 the number of state beaches along Highway 1 north of Santa Cruz.

The state parks department takes control of 407 acres west of Highway 1 at the end of August. The land trust will give 5,701 acres east of the highway to the federal Bureau of Land Management by year's end. Agri-Culture, a Watsonville group that will manage leases held by five farmers, will hold the remaining 737 acres.

Efforts to turn the land over to the government languished for two years amid budget shortfalls. But Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recently allocated $16.4 million in the 2007 budget to boost park operations, and the state Public Works Board unanimously approved the deal July 14.

That doesn't mean the beaches will change overnight. It'll take about a year to erect signs, build staircases leading to the beaches and hire rangers, officials said.

Things might take a little longer east of Highway 1 because the federal government has not allocated any funding to develop the site, said Rick Cooper, field manager of the Bureau of Land Management office in Hollister.

"But hopefully within a year we can provide some opportunities for public use," he said.

A land-management plan drawn up by the Trust for Public Land calls for protecting endangered and threatened species, preserving existing farmland and ensuring ample recreation. Deed restrictions ban logging and motorized vehicles.

In five to 10 years, the Bureau of Land Management hopes to establish a network of trails and provide amenities like campsites, restrooms and a parking lot. Mountain bikers have volunteered to help design, build and maintain trails for cyclists, hikers and equestrians.

"When they're ready, we'd love to step in and help," said Mark Davidson, president of Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz.

The landscape, though beautiful, is by no means perfect. Old buildings and rough roads appear here and there, and a huge conveyor belt carries limestone from the quarry to the Cemex plant. But the Bureau of Land Management plans to restore the habitat, improve the stream courses and replace invasive species with native perennial grasses.

In time, officials said, the land will look more like it did when the Respini and Moretti families arrived 140 years ago.

"It's not a pristine habitat, but it's a fantastic portion of the California coast, and it's our hope that we can make it even better," Cooper said. "It will be a challenge, but it will be a fun challenge."

Coast Dairies Ranch by the numbers

The Trust for Public Land is turning over to three public agencies 6,845 acres of land along the California coast north of Santa Cruz.